Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
e to Otteijdorf^r.
EXPRESSION REGULATOR FOR PIANOS—A CLEVER
ARRANGEMENT.
Francis J. Bird, the popular and energetic
manager of Wm. D. Dutton & Co.'s establish-
ment, Philadelphia, surprised his friends last
week by joining the vast army of Benedicts.
Mr. Bird was married to Miss Delphine Franko,
a charming young lady, sister of Nahan Franko,
the well-known orchestra conductor. The young
couple are in receipt of hearty congratulations
from their numerous friends and acquaintances.
Theodore Pfafflin, late of Chickering & Sons,
is now exhibiting the many superb qualities of
theKnabe pianos, at the firm's warerooms on
Fifth avenue. Mr. Pfafflin has had an exten-
sive acquaintance, both as a traveler and as a
salesman, and his many abilities are sure to tell
for the Knabe firm.
George L. Weitz, manager of the New York
warerooms of Estey & Saxe, is exceedingly busy
attending to the wants of the firms many cus-
tomers.
Adam Slomosky, who explains the many ex-
cellent qualities of the Hardman pianos to the
patrons of the great establishment of Hardman,
Peck & Co., is in high feather over the prospects
of a great fall trade.
Fred. Becker is one of the most active sales-
men of the younger generation, and is looked
upon as a very valuable adjunct to the house of
Peek & Son.
THE Store of H. A. Hillcoat, dealer in musi-
cal instruments, at Amherst, N. S., has been
entirely destroyed by fire.
A PHILHARMONIC Society has been organized
at Jacksonville, Fla., with fifty members. Dr.
Geo, C. Matthews was elected president; Chas.
R. Jones, vice-president; Thomas Dykes, sec-
retary.
MR. G. W. B. WELLS, formerly traveling
agent for Cluett & Son's pianos, has taken the
management of the branch establishment in
Hoosick Falls, N. Y.
MR. J. W. MYERS, of Jacksonville, Fla., has
in his possession a violin which he claims is
over 200 years old. The instrument was made
in Scotland.
AN OPEN LETTER.
To Mr. Oswald Ottendorfer, Editor of the New
Yorker Staats-Zeitwig :
•jjjIrN another portion of this paper we p Sent
Last May, when you published the disgraceful
^
illustrations of an invention nyrae and
patented by J. Y. Druckenmiller, of Philadelphia. attacks on the citizens of Dolgeville, in which
Mr. Druckenmiller has been associated with they were described as making a living as Tim-
music and the manufacture and/sale of pianos ber Thieves, and I was designated as their pro-
for twenty years ; he is, therefore' a thoroughly tector and patron, I called upon you to send a
representative to Dolgeville to make investiga-
practical man.
His invention may be properly termed an tion in the place itself, so that he could publish
"Expression Regulator for Pianos," by which a retraction.
You did not entertain this just demand, but
the most perfect tone shading can be produced.
It is not in the form of a muffler, is operated by on the contrary, in your issues of September 14
the knee instead of the foot, its effects are gradual and 16, you published another series of lengthy
and steady, and the most delicate shadings and articles, which contained the following unfound-
expressions may be produced by the same touch ed, dishonorable and utterly untrue assertions :
1. That I had not raised the wages of my work-
where previously great work was required to
avoid sudden and jerky effects. The performer people in 1892, but that " my workpeople at the
can immediately feel the effect produced by the beginning of 1892 had expected a raise of wages,
slightest movement, as the action rail is regu- which I had, however, refused."
2. That the average wages " for hand work,
lated in distance from the strings according to
the movement of the player upon the lever. most of which required great skill, were $i.37>£
The '' Regulator '' is operated by two small to $1.50 a day."
3. That "four years ago ordinary laborers
wheels that are perfectly noiseless and the move-
ment is very gradual. The invention can be earned $1.50 per day, but now earned only $1.25
applied to any upright piano, and the cost of it per day.''
4. That " I was now employing only.about 40
will be slight.
Many professional and practical men who men, women and children in my felt factories."
5. That "the Democrats who live in Dolge-
have seen Mr. Druckenmiller's invention pro-
nounce it excellent. We would suggest to our ville seal their letters with sealing wax " be-
readers to carefully examine the illustrations, cause they are afraid that their letters will be
and also that a call upon Mr. Druckenmiller at opened in the post office.
6. That the felt which I use in the manufac-
1101 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, will prove
very interesting, as he can show the effects of ture of felt shoes '' consists principally of shoddy
his invention to advantage. We understand and contains very little wool."
7. That'' I am enabled, through the McKinley
that Mr. Druckenmiller intends placing this in-
vention on the market, and whoever desires tariff, to make a net profit of at least a dollar on
further information upon the subject should every pound of felt that I manufacture.''
I now call on you to entrust to a committee
communicate with him.
of three gentlemen an investigation of the above
assertions.
For this purpose I beg to propose three of
MRS. EMILY R. DECKER.
your own personal friends, namely,
#
N Monday, September 12th, Mrs. Emily R.
Decker, aged 53 years, wife of Myron A.
Decker, and mother of Frank C. Decker, of
Decker & Son, died suddenly of pneumonia, at
1:30 p. M., at her home, at 49 East i32d street,
New York. Although she had been in delicate
health for about a year, Mrs. Decker was not
supposed to be in any immediate danger, and her
death gave an unexpected shock to her family
and many friends. Mrs. Decker was from Al-
bany, and was married to Mr. Decker thirty-seven
years ago. A large assemblage of relatives,
friends, and members of St. Cecile Lodge, No.
568, F. & A. M., attended the funeral services,
which took place at the Decker residence on
Wednesday, September 14th, at 7 p. M. The
interment, which was private, was at Woodlawn
Cemetery.
5I?
aijd
The finest piano and organ now known,
For beauty of finish, for compass and tone,
For ornament, wear, and responsive effects,
Is conceded to be, by common consent,
The instrument furnished by George P. Bent.
MR. S. R. MORGAN has been in Warwick, N.
How superior it is, no artist can doubt,
Y., during the past week, looking after the in- In workmanship, style and materials through
terests of the Morgan Music Co., which succeeds
out;
to the business of Morgan & Wilbur, and of That its merits deserve to be " Crown " ed wT
which he is manager.
success,
HENRY WEBER, one of the founders of the No one, who has tried it, is loth to confess.
firm of Balmer & Weber, St. Louis, died in On getting the best then, if you are intent,
Denver, Col., on the 6th inst.
You are wise if you buy one of Geo. P. Bent.
HENRY VILLARD,
GUSTAV H. SCHWAB,
LOUIS WINDMULLER,
who, with you, signed the address to the Ger-
man Americans, to support Grover Cleveland,
and who are, consequently, advocates of Free
Trade, and therefore, politically, my opponents.
I have no doubt that these gentlemen will be
willing to accept this undertaking, as it con-
cerns a matter to which you attach so much im-
portance for the Free Trade cause in your paper,
and in which, at the same time, my personal
honor and business integrity are attacked so
grossly, and I pledge myself to place at the dis-
posal of these gentlemen all my business books,
of whatever kind, and to aid their investigation
by every means in my power.
Furthermore, I bind myself to pay $5,000 to
the Dolgeville Academy, the German Hospital
in New York, or to the Isabella Home, if your
committee should find the above charges to be
true and well-founded, and I will leave it to
your committee to which of the above named
institutions the penalty shall be paid.
On the other hand I expect from you, should
your charges be found to be untrue, that you
will reward the labors of the committee with a
proportionate donation to some charitable insti-
tution.
ALFRED DOLGE.
September 16th, 1892.
TROM & SON, piano dealers, located
on Broadway, Losyj^Branch, N. J., are havii
the interior of their DufRlkML^altered anc
proved.